1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to improvements in sail battens. More particularly, it concerns novel sail batten constraining devices, improved sail battens comprising such devices and batten-sail combinations using such improved sail battens.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Battens are extensively used with sails for sailcraft, e.g., sailboats, iceboats, wind propelled scooters, etc., to support and/or shape the sails. The sails with which battens are used include lugsails, lateen sails, square-rigged sails, jib-headed (Marconi rig) sails and gaff rig sails. This invention pertains primarily to battens for jib-headed sails.
Jib-headed sails may be divided into several classes with respect to battens, namely, unbattened sails, partial batten sails and full battened sails. Jib-headed sails made without roach do not require batten support for the leach and, hence, are usually unbattened. This type of sail is used on cruising sailboats, small sailing dinghies and other sailcraft where high performance sail qualities are not required.
In racing sailboats, iceboats and other racing sailcraft, high performance is demanded for the sails. Most such sails are formed with substantial roach that require battens for support to provide proper leech shape. The partial batten type sails use a plurality of battens that are carried in pockets extending forward from the leech only a minor length of their chords of the sail. In contrast, the full batten type sails use a plurality of battens that are carried in pockets that extend all the way from the leech to the luff of the sail at spaced intervals between the foot and head of the sail. The full type battens are longer than their respective pockets and by compressing such battens in their pockets between the sail luff and leech, the battens can be caused to bow. Such compression is usually produced by tieing lines fastened to the sail leech across the aft ends of the battens. The tighter the lines are tied, the greater the compression on the batten and the larger the bow.
Substantially all jib-headed sails are formed with draft, i.e., the sails are not flat, but present a outward curvature to leeward in use. Sails of the full batten type obviously require much more pocket and batten material for a given size sail than do the partial batten type. Nevertheless, they are used with many types of sailcraft because a greater amount of sail draft can be produced with them than can be attained with partial batten or unbattened sails.
In the use of a sailcraft equipped with full batten sails, it may be desireable from time to time to change the draft of a sail by changing batten compression. This can be tedious and time consuming with batten constructions currently available. The available battens also can present problems in removing them from their pockets such as when the sails are taken off the sailcraft for folding and storage.